Friday, June 01, 2007 Hotels brace for Chinese tourists By Malou M. Mozo Sun.Star Staff Reporter
TO signify their readiness for the influx of Chinese tourists, some hotels and resorts in Cebu will be investing on Chinese-friendly services.
Hans Hauri, Marco Polo Plaza Cebu general manager, said the hotel management foresees the need to improve its hotel rates and services, making it as a “Chinese-friendly environment as possible.”
Hauri said the hotel is keen on hiring Chinese staff, particularly as a guest relations officer, offer promotional rates, which are in line with those initiated by travel agencies, provide Chinese-written literature and collaterals and expand its Chinese food selection in the breakfast and buffet meals, among others.
“Our cooperation is extended to the service side where we partner with Chinese travel agencies,” he said in an interview. Language barrier
While Hauri admitted the language barrier and the lack of Chinese-friendly services are factors why the country is not a popular leisure destination among mainland Chinese tourists, the problem on air-seat capacity is one that poses a huge concern for this tourist market.
This is why he lauded the efforts of China Southern Airlines and the consortium of Chinese travel agents when the airline company announced direct chartered flights from Cebu to Shanghai City starting July this year.
In addition, he said Marco Polo’s hosting of the 200-Chinese delegation during the 12th Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit last January was a huge boost in luring Chinese visitors to the hotel.
Citing hotel records, Hauri said the 329-room hotel was able to capture 12 percent of Chinese tourists in Cebu last year. Most of the Chinese nationals were from Taipei and not from mainland China, though.
Marketing efforts
“Our visitors from mainland China are extremely low and that’s why we are targeting them,” he said.
Meanwhile, Filipino-owned Plantation Bay Resort and Spa is also upgrading its facilities and services and has hiked its marketing efforts to attract a huge chunk of Chinese tourists.
Efren Belarmino, Plantation Bay general manager said the hotel is upgrading its function rooms to lure Chinese multinational companies in choosing the place as a venue for meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions.
This, apart from beefing up its pool of Mandarin-speaking staff and partnering with Chinese travel agencies and local travel agents to offer good packages.
Although Plantation Bay has recorded Koreans, Japanese and locals as among its top visitors, Belarmino is optimistic of an increase in the hotel’s Chinese visitors this year.
He said the resort will capitalize on its “five-star quality amenities,” which is a magnet for the leisure-seeking Chinese guests.
Tourism Secretary Joseph “Ace” Durano said the Department of Tourism is hoping to attract 200,000 Chinese arrivals to the country this year, after it included China as its main priority market for tourism promotions.
